A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

“It’s an autonomous guild, not an adventurer’s guild…that’s why I said this guy is like an idiot in some ways.” Winter shook her head and looked at Dewdrop.

"It's alright, as long as she can handle things well, everything will be fine. Winter, take her and the other members of the autonomous group back to our base and show her around."

Early Dew chuckled softly, then turned away, leaving behind a single sentence:

"As for me, I need to go back to the nobles and keep them in check."

“Zaolu, that Gulag guy is clearly up to no good. I’m worried he might actually do something stupid like informing on us.”

Winter warned:

"Moreover, his Iron-Blooded Axe has caused trouble for the Autonomous Group time and time again. And he has used many despicable means to win over students, which is practically destroying the positive influence you have worked so hard to build."

"Yes, I understand all of that, but unfortunately, we can't afford to break off all ties at this stage."

Early Dew shook her head and said:

"Regarding the informant, I've already sent people to keep an eye on him, but even the best-laid plans can have a slip-up, and we must be prepared to be pushed out at any time. Remember, it's not terrible for our movement to fail; the key is whether our voices can awaken the fighting spirit and resistance of the people of Chernobyl."

"As for the Ironblood Axe, I can only leave that to you, Winter. With my support, I believe you'll handle them well. Right?"

“Heh, that’s for sure,” Winter replied with a smile and a nod.

Chapter 289: Boris's Speech

In a luxurious manor in the southern city of Tagan, a dignified middle-aged man is receiving a special guest.

"Is this really true!?"

The man's face was filled with disbelief upon hearing the news brought by the guest.

"The news is only coming out in the last few days. Although it will take some time before it is submitted to the Imperial Council, Duke Constantine, who is on the front lines, will definitely receive the news as soon as possible and force you to move the remaining Third Army to the north."

“Even if the new elites gain the upper hand, Prince Baikal, you can no longer act recklessly here. And if you do not completely control the south, all the things you did before will be brought back to you.”

The special guest spoke in a hoarse voice.

The crackling fire in the fireplace at Baikal Manor cast shadows from the velvet curtains onto the ever-changing face of the Baikal prince.

He stroked the power ring inlaid with the family crest, his gaze fixed on the figure shrouded in a cloak before him. The news the other party brought felt like an ice pick piercing his heart.

"Damn it, how did things turn out like this?"

Prince Baikal's fingertips dug deeply into the sandalwood armrest. Under the other's guidance, he clearly understood how caught in a dilemma he was in.

"It's all that idiot Georgie's fault! It's unbelievable that a powerful duke like Constantine could have such an incompetent son!" Prince Baikal roared.

"Two hundred thousand people! A full two hundred thousand people! Even if you had two hundred thousand pack animals, it would take you a month to eat them all!"

"And he did it! In just five days, he wiped out two hundred thousand people!"

“Calm down, Prince Baikal,” the special guest said slowly. “The defeat is inevitable. You shouldn’t dwell on the past. Instead, you should think about your unfinished southern territories.”

“Consider? Are you trying to persuade me to give up like this?” Baikal suddenly stood up, the crimson wine trembling in his glass. “I’ve spent three years planning this! Bribery, marriage alliances… I’ve given up almost everything! Kosiché… and now you want me to give up?”

“Not abandonment, but ‘harvesting’.” The black serpent’s fingertips drew a cold arc in the air. “Before the transfer order arrives, water the roots of your power with blood. Purge all potential threats, leaving only one voice in the southern cities: your name.”

"But the massacre will condemn me to eternal infamy—"

"But Constantine and those new nobles will strip you of your surname, your title, and even your head in their purge."

The black snake's voice was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue:

“Those newly rich have been keeping a close eye on you. The moment you leave, they will act immediately. They will not only report everything you have done during this time, but also present evidence of your years of ‘coordinating taxes’ and ‘conscripting private soldiers’ to the emperor… Do you really think Boris and his ilk are docile lambs?”

The study fell into a deathly silence. The cold wind outside the window rustled the shadows of the trees, like countless prying eyes. Prince Baikal gazed at the southern map on the wall—those cities marked with his family crest now seemed like daggers pressed against his back.

"..." Prince Baikal's face was gloomy. After thinking for a long time, he finally sat back down and said, "Tell me, Kosichev...tell me how to do it specifically next."

“As I just said: one word, kill. And the sooner the better.” A cold glint flashed in Black Serpent’s eyes beneath his cloak, and he continued:

"Furthermore, you can no longer rely on intermediaries to convey your will. This time, you must personally issue the final orders to the garrison leaders in each city."

"Only if you personally endorse the killing order will those garrison leaders truly follow your orders, and only then can those nobles be dealt with more quickly."

"Even if you take most of your troops with you, the remaining men are enough to wipe out the rest of those clowns one by one. And they have no choice but to do it, because once this begins, there is no turning back."

After listening to the other party's words, Prince Baikal fell into a long silence. Until the black serpent left, Prince Baikal did not give the black serpent a clear answer.

But Black Serpent knew very well that when faced with two evils, one should choose the lesser one, and Prince Baikal had no other choice.

"This body can't stay in this place for too long; the nearby guards are about to notice..." Black Serpent murmured, then looked towards the direction of Chernobog and smiled.

"Ha, I really want to see how Chernobog will proceed before I leave..."

……

Chernobog Outer City

“Relax, Mayor Boris. The city is in disarray, and fear is rampant. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to disaster. As mayor, it’s time for you to step up and give the citizens some confidence.”

At that moment, Viscount Dunkel and Boris were in a car heading towards the place where the speech would be given that day in the outer city.

Since the major upheaval in the inner city some time ago, Boris has been confined there. Now, the rumors in the outer city are intensifying and have begun to spread towards Saint-Germain-de-Lago, so Viscount Dunkel must find a way to stabilize the current situation.

In truth, Viscount Dunkel was equally indifferent to the people in the outer city. However, he was well aware that the remaining nobility in Chernobog would certainly take action, and if popular resentment and riots broke out, pressure from the central government would soon follow.

Mayor Boris, the leading figure among the new elites, has now surrendered to him. As long as he makes his stance clear to the people in the outer city and appeases the new elites in the inner city, he can then proceed slowly and gradually bring them down in one fell swoop at a suitable time.

Viscount Dunkel's eyes narrowed slightly at the thought of Dor. Although he had risen to power through the patronage of the Prince of Baikal, it didn't mean he was a completely clueless fool.

He could naturally see Quan Dor's dissatisfaction. But he was even more disdainful. A barbarian who had been in the border region for a long time, and who was still carrying the stain of the great rebellion, was someone that Prince Baikal could use as a front man. The other man should be proud of that and should behave himself.

How dare he still have such ambitions, trying to break free of the collar? Who gave you such qualifications, such rebellious thoughts?

This was also the real purpose for which he was sent by Prince Baikal: to eliminate the new elites for Prince Baikal and prevent others from finding any fault with him, and to nip in the bud some people's undesirable thoughts and future plans.

Meanwhile, Boris appeared somewhat worried. Although Baikal had sent representatives to appease him and the newly powerful forces, and strongly condemned the overstepping of the throne, he had never felt any peace of mind.

He was well aware of Prince Baikal's ambitions, and that Dunkirk's actions were merely a delaying tactic. Although he saw through this, he had no choice but to continue playing along.

At least this way he can survive for a while. Now he can only pray that the new elites in the Imperial Council will react in time to Prince Baikal's ambitious actions.

"Mayor Boris? Can you hear me?"

Just then, a voice interrupted Boris's thoughts. Boris quickly realized what was happening and replied, "I...I'm sorry, Viscount Boris, I was just thinking too much about the contents of those manuscripts."

“That’s why I said don’t panic. Just say what you’ve written in your speech and then leave. Isn’t that what you’re always best at?” Dunkel asked with a smile.

"Yes...yes..." Boris responded twice, with beads of sweat the size of beans still trickling down his forehead.

For some reason, ever since he got into the car today, he's been feeling anxious nonstop, as if something terrible is about to happen to him.

Especially as I get closer to the lecture venue, I feel incredibly anxious. Where's Lin? He's not available...

……

A large crowd had gathered below the stage, all waiting for the mayor to arrive.

Chernobog has already experienced too many unsettling things—the push for integration, the citywide lockdown with restricted movement, soaring prices, and unrest in the inner city…

Especially given the rising prices, they urgently need an explanation as to how long this state of martial law will continue, as they are struggling to afford their daily expenses.

Especially due to restrictions on product imports and exports, regular production at the factory has come to a standstill, and everything is now focused on producing Originium. In order to make a living, they often have to risk contracting Oripathy.

If it weren't for the recent emergence of special protective suits, who knows how many people would have taken the risk of stealing or robbing other people's food.

Besides those with legitimate needs, the crowd also included at least three other factions: infected individuals affiliated with Azazel and members of the Reunion Movement, personnel sent by the military, and a group of students who had infiltrated the area.

They each had different motives and planned to use this opportunity to make a fuss.

Finally, a familiar figure appeared—it was Mayor Boris, who hadn't been seen presiding over events for a long time, stepping onto the stage. The crowd began to stir, eager for Boris to resolve their doubts.

"Silence! Silence!"

Boris coughed twice, and the sound of the speakers drowned out the noise of the crowd, which gradually quieted down.

“I know that you have all been through a lot of frights recently, and you have a lot of confusion and anxiety in your hearts. I have come here to resolve your doubts and eliminate your anxiety.”

Boris slowly unfolded his speech and began his almost official-style explanation.

Boris slowly unfolded his speech and began his almost official-style explanation.

Generally speaking, Boris still maintains the official Ursus stance, stating that everything is currently in support of the northern campaign against the Unified Bandit Army.

It was also said that chaos had broken out in all the cities of the Eastern Region, with unifying rebel groups causing trouble everywhere. To prevent the rear from falling into chaos, martial law and arrests were imposed. It was specifically stated that the accusations of arbitrary arrests and false accusations were completely unfounded rumors.

Furthermore, the accounts of the unrest within the inner city are all supported by solid evidence, with no conspiracy theories or conflicts between nobles and the military.

Finally, regarding the issue of prices, which is of utmost concern to everyone, Boris Johnson assured the city government that the city would release grain into the granaries during this period to bring down food prices, and he has also applied to higher authorities for approval.

To put it more politely, if judged by official standards, Boris Johnson's speech was a flawless example, sufficiently standardized and official.

To put it bluntly, no problems have been solved; it's all just empty promises and perfunctory denials.

A long-suppressed anger finally teetered on the brink of explosion, fueled by these empty words.

Chapter 290: Bao Qi

"I have now explained the general content of the question. Do you have any other questions?"

After reading the entire speech aloud, Boris breathed a sigh of relief. With this matter resolved, he wouldn't have to worry about the outside world for a long time.

As for the last so-called other questions, they were probably just inquiries about the details of what I had just discussed. These details are all presented in the subsequent speech.

Perhaps these people won't ask any more questions, so I suppose my reputation is still reliable enough to persuade these commoners to go back.

But in an instant, Boris will realize just how absurd his idea is.

From the crowd, one person shouted, "After all that talk, they still haven't given a specific time when martial law will end! Are these military personnel going to stay here forever?!"

"They were supposed to be soldiers protecting our country! But what have they been doing?! Shops are constantly being robbed, and they beat up passersby for no reason! Are these just rumors, just minor issues?!"

Since the voice had actually been spoken out, many people looked toward the source of the sound, but there was only a dense crowd, and it was impossible to tell who among the crowd had so bluntly exposed the issue.

When Dunkel, who was in the audience, saw that some troublemaker had asked such a question, he looked at the security personnel who were maintaining order in the venue with a stern face. Those people immediately understood and questioned and arrested the person who came from the source of the voice. However, a large number of people said that they did not hear clearly who said the words.

Boris, on stage, coughed lightly and smoothed things over, saying, "Regarding this matter, the city government has already contacted the military. The military leadership takes this behavior, which undermines military discipline, very seriously and has issued an internal ban and begun an internal investigation."

"If this happens again, remember the person's appearance and report it to the military inspection office set up by the military in the outer city. At that time, both the military and the municipal government will give fair punishment."

The words sounded nice, but they drew boos from the crowd below.

Let them go to the military inspection office to report military personnel? Ha, that's as ridiculous as a chicken going to a weasel to report that the weasel's relative stole its eggs, demanding that the weasel hand over other weasels and apologize.

"Are you kidding me? Someone reported the military? And the military takes it very seriously? If that were true, it wouldn't be unresolved to this day!"

"Besides, what are those damn plainclothes officers doing in the other place?! Are they arresting people everywhere?! You won't even let us ask questions like that, and you still have the nerve to say you're here to solve problems?"

At that moment, a loud protest suddenly erupted from another group of students who had not been searched—and this group of young people was the most vocal and outspoken.

"Arrest all those students, and tell Boris that they may have been instigated by others and need to be properly educated. Then have him appease the rest of the crowd," Dunkel said sternly to the police chief beside him.

"This……"

"Why aren't you going yet? Do you want to wait until there's a popular uprising?!" Dunkel said sternly.

"Yes, sir!" The police chief had no choice but to issue the order and send someone to notify Boris, who was still giving a speech above.

Immediately, the crowd below began to stir. The plainclothes police officers bullied the students, taking them into custody one by one. This behavior aroused strong dissatisfaction among the other onlookers.

"What are you doing?! Why are you making things difficult for a group of children?!"

"Look at this! These are the people our city government employs. They don't dare to confront the military, but instead they're targeting our children!"

Immediately, the crowd became agitated, and many people blocked the plainclothes police officers, preventing them from taking the person away.

"Everyone... calm down. Young people act impulsively and are easily taken advantage of. We are taking these children away to protect and educate them, so that they will not be exploited by those with ulterior motives."

After being reminded, Boris quickly stepped onto the stage to offer his advice:

"The police will not do anything to them, and will definitely send the children out safely tomorrow under everyone's supervision."

After hearing Boris's words, which seemed to convey a certain sincerity, the noise subsided somewhat. However, they clearly had no intention of letting the plainclothes police officers off so easily; some even chimed in:

"Was there anything wrong with what these children just said? They're being arrested simply for asking questions! Is this how the city government treats the people of Chernobyl?! Since when has speaking become a crime?!"

"They are subservient to the military, but ruthless towards their own people!"

"Your municipal government, like those military personnel, has long been used to being high and mighty, and you've long since stopped hearing our voices!"

"Ladies and gentlemen... I understand your feelings. Our municipal government has been listening carefully to all your questions and concerns."

Boris took a deep breath and said slowly:

“We have indeed heard a lot of voices. Some of them are particularly scathing…and they denigrate our entire city government, saying we are very arrogant and can’t hear people’s voices…”

“Actually, we are just like everyone else. We are also people of Chernobyl, and we are part of Chernobyl. We are experiencing the same things that everyone else is experiencing. It’s just that we hear far too many voices.”